Internal combustion engine



1933- J. E. SERSTE 1,896,102

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed May 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig?! 2/ as 36' 14 44 4o 9 9 V4! 4 3y I 58K 8 b a, J7/ I Feb. 7, 1933. J SERSTE 1,896,102

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed May 8, 1930 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JACQUES EGIDE SERST'E, 01' LAEKEN-BRUSSELS, BELGIUM INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original application illed Kay 8, 1980, Serial No. 450,826, PatentNo. 1,853,464, April 12, 1932, and in Belgium 7 August 21, 1829. Divided and this application filed February 25,1931. Serial No. 518,149.

I have made application. as follows: in Belgium, No. 363,176,: dated of 21st August 1929, in Germany, dated of 19th August 1930, No. 46 D1 S. 63-30 (prov. No.)

' 5 My'present invention relates to improveeach cylinder, which in this case is closed by a ments in internal Combustion engines of the .kind set forth and described in my Patent No. 1,853,464,-Apr. 12, 1932, ofwhichthis is a division, and it has for its object to provide an'improved engine of this kind wherein the spring serving in conjunction with the vacuum in the cylinder to reciprocate the admission controlling sliding valve in the cylinder head is omitted and replaced by a strong and reliable pnuematic operating device utilizing the movements of the cylinder heads themselves for actuating the admission parts.

To this end, the engine cylinders are connected in pairs in such away that the'end of cylinder head andwherein is confined air or gas, will communicate with an inner chamher in the movable head of the twin cylinder and upon its movement to open the exhaust 5 of a cylinder the head of the latter will force into the head of the other cylinder air or gas,

thepressure of which produces the closing of the admission part of this cylinder. In this way, each time the exhaust of a cylinder is 0 opened the admission of the twin cylinder will be closed automatically, the engine cylinders working in the desired order so that the twin cylinders will be each by the side of each other in order to simplify the arrangement of the communicating conduits conmeeting them. i

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated by way of example one preferred embodiment of my improved engine.

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary vertical sectional views of the left hand side cylinders of a four cylinder engine according to my invention, each'showingthe valve gearing 5 parts in different successive positions, and

Fig. 3 is in part, a plan view and in part, a transverse section through the admission conduits and ports, showing the cylinders without the gearing parts.

' Fig.4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1

ing similar to those shown in my aforesaid Patent, No. 1,853,464, and therefore do not require a special description.

Similarly as in the engine described in my said application, each cylinder is provided with a movable head formed of an inverted sleeve 4-4, the lower rim of which controls the exhaust ports 5-5 and which in turn is controlled by means of an elbow joint a, a respectively (see Fig. 4) acting on the rod 21-21 screwed into the bottom of the sleeve.

The inner space of each sleeve is in permanent communication with the admission conduits 9-9, through ports 8-8 extending through the wall of the cylinder and corresponding ports 7-7 in. the wall of the sleeve. The communication between the interior of the sleeve .or movable head and the interior of the cylinder 1-1, is controlled by an admission port formed of a valve disc 10-10 adapted to seat on the lower opening of the sleeeve for closing the admission or to be moved apart from said opening by the effect of the vacuum in the cylinder in order to enable fresh gases from the conduits 9-9 to be admitted into the cylinder.

My present construction is distinguished by the arrangement above each movable head 4-4 of a chamber 36-36 tightly closed towards the outside by a head plate -35. Above the admissionports 7-7 each sleeve 4-4" is provided with a fixed partition 37-37 constituting in the bottom of the sleeve atight chamber 38-38, in which a small piston 14-14 is adapted to slide, said piston being connected by means of a hollow rod 15-15 to the admission valve'10-10'. The chamber 38 in the movable head 4 communicates permanently with the chamber 36 in the bottom of the adjacent cylinder 1' through a port 39 in the sleeve 1, an oblique conduit 10 in the common wall of the cylinders and an elbowed conduit 11 in a boss 42 of the head 35. Reciprocally the chamber 38 in the head 1 communicates permanently with the chamber 36 in-the bottom of the cylinder 1 through a port 39 and conduits 40 and 41 which are seen in Fig. 3 showing a plan view of the conduits.

Thus the cylinders 11 are twinned and the two other cylinders of the engine not shown are similarly arranged. Should the engine comprise six or eight cylinders, there would be three or four groups of two twin cylinders instead of two groups as in the present example. The pistons in the cylinders 1-1 of the first group are mounted on the same crank b of the crank-shaft 0 (Fig. 5) and those in the cylinders of the second group are also connected to a common crank 12 displaced to 180 with relation to the former. The valve gearing parts of the engine are adjusted so that the admission into one cylinder 1 of a group will correspond to the exhaust from the second cylinder 1 of this group, the two cylinders 1a and la of the other group then being in the exhaust and compression periods respectively see Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder 1 is about to complete its admission period and the cylinder 1 its expansion period. The two movable cylinder heads H are at this time immovably held in their lower positions by their respective elbow joints or and a (Fig. 1) and cover the exhaust ports 5 5. The admission valve 10 is closed by the pressure of the expansion in the cylinder 1, whilst the admission valve 10 is held open by the vacuum in the cylinder 1. The valve gearing of the cylinders in the second group are then in the exhaust and compression positions respectively, shown in Fig. 2 for the cylinders 1 and 1'. p

In the next stroke (Fig. 2) the cylinder 1 begins its exhaust period and the cylinder 1 its compression period. The elbow joint a of the movable head 1 is now unlocked by itscam as previously described so as to be enabled to be folded in order to enable the head 4 to be forced upwardly by the exhaust gases to uncover the exhaust ports 5 (Fig. 2). In its upward movement the head 4 acts like a piston in the chamber 36 in the bottom of cylinder 2 so that the confined air or gas filling this chamber will be forced under pressure through the conduits 11-1O into thechamber 38 in the head 4' of the cylinder 2 below the small piston 14. The pres sure will raise this piston on which will move the hollow rod 15' upwardly together with the valve 10, which closes upon its seat to close the admission port.

This closing movement of the admission valve 10' is assisted by the compression in the cylinder 1 of the charge of fresh gases the pressure of which will hold the valve in its closed position, in conjunction with the pressure in the chamber 38. Practically, the exhaust Will be slightly advanced so that the closing of the admission valve will be effected just in the interval between the admission and compression periods or a little in advance to the latter.

At the end of the exhaust in the cylinder 1 the head 1 will be lowered by gravity or the action of the elbow joint relocking the same and said head will cover again the ports 5. The confined air or gas compressed in the chamber 38' will be expanded flowing back into the chamber 36, but the valve 10 will not be influenced thereby and remain closed under the pressure of the gases compressed in the cylinder 1 in expansion period. At the same time, the admission valve 10 will be opened by the vacuum in the cylinder 1 in admission period and the air contained in the chamber 38 will be forced by the piston 14 into the chamber 36 where it will be compressed without any efi'ect.

Upon the completion of the expansion in the cylinder 1', the head 4 of the latter will be forced back by the exhaust gases, uncover the exhaust ports 5 and in its upward movement force the confined air from the chamber 36 through the conduit H 10 into the chamber 38 in the head 4;, where the pressure will raise the piston 14 moving the valve 10 upon its seat, whereby the admission to the cylinder 1 will be closed for the compresslon period. Then the four stroke cycle w ll be completed by the compression in the cylinder 1 and the exhaust in the cylinder 1 whereupon the parts will again be in the expansion period for the cylinder 1 and the admission period for the cylinder 1', as shown in Fig. 5.

The same operations will take place 111 the two other cylinders (not shown) of the en gine, as will be easily understood without further explanation.

The pneumatic control of the admission parts above described has, besides the omission of the objectionable springs, the advantage that said parts will be very suddenly closed, at the same time enabling them to be also opened very suddenly. In order to prevent the confined air or gas above the pistons 1 1 from forming a cushion in the upper part of the chambers 38 whereby the closing of the valves 10 would be retarded, said part of the chambers 38 communicates freely with the inner spaces of the movable heads through the hollow rods 15 and ports 43 at the base of the latter. On the other hand, the air compressed by the movable heads 1 in the chambers 36 and 38 will act as a cushion at the end of the exhaust stroke of said heads for the purpose of avoidin very heavy shocks on the lugs limiting the opening,

movements of the elbow joints (1 and a.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of cylinders, pistons movable therein, exhaust and admission ports in each cylinder, a slidable head in one end of each cylinder, a fixed point outside each cylinder against which said slidable head bears, a pivoted member between said fixed point and slidable head and attached to the latter, means for actuating said. pivoted member to cause the slidable head to close the exhaust ports, means whereby said slidable head is moved by the pressure of burnt gases in each cylinder to open the exhaust ports thereof, means for connecting the cylinders by pairs so that the closed end of each cylinder. containing confined air or gas Wlll communicate with the mner space 1n the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the, pair, and means whereby upon the movement of said movable head for opening the exhaust of its cylinder said air or gas will be forced under pressure into the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair to close the admission of fuel into said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a pair of cylinders, pistons movable therein, exhaust and admission ports in each cylinder, a slidable head in one end of each cylinder, a fixed point outside each cylinder against which said slidable head bears, a pivoted member between said fixed point and slidable head'and attached to the latter, means for actuating said pivoted member to cause the slidable head to close the exhaust ports, means whereby said slidable head is moved by the pressure of burnt gases in each cylinder to open the exhaust ports thereof, means for connecting the cylinders by pairs so that the closed end of each cylinder containing confined air or gas will communicate with the inner space in the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair, a movable piston in each slidable cylinder head, and means whereby upon the movement of said slidable head for opening the exhaust of its cylinder said air or gas will be forced under pressure into the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair to move the piston therein and close the admission of fuel into said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of cylinders, pistons movable therein, exhaust and admission ports in each cylinder, a slidable head in one end of each cylinder, a fixed point outside each cylinder against which said slidable head bears, a pivoted member between said. fixed point and slidable head and attached to the latter, means for actuating said pivoted member for causing the slidable head to close the exhaust ports, means whereby: said slidable head is moved by the pressure of burnt gases in each cylinder to open the exhaust ports thereof, means for connecting the cylinders by pairs in such a way-that the closed end of each cylinder containing confined air or gas will communimission valve connected to said piston and means whereby upon the movement of said slidable head for opening the exhaust of its cylinder said air or gas will be forced under pressure into the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair to move the piston therei in together with said admission valve and close the admission of fuel into said cylinder, substantially as set forth. 4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a pair of cylinders, pistons movable therein, exhaust and admission ports in each cylinder, a slidable head in one end of each cylinder, a fixed point outside each cylinder against which said slidable head" bears, a pivoted member between said fixed point and slidable head, attached to the latter, means for actuating said pivoted member for causing the slidable head to close the exin said common wall, an elbowed conduit connecting said firstnamed conduit to the end of one cylinder of the pair of cylinders wherein is contained confined air or gas,'aport in the wall of the slidable head of the second cylinder of the pair of cylinders to connect said oblique conduit to the inner space in said slidable head, a movable piston in each slidable head, an admission valve connected to said piston, and means whereby upon the movement of said slidable head for opening the exhaust of its cylinder, said confined air or gas will be forced under pressure into the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair in a boss on the closed end of each cylinder 1 to move the piston therein together with the admission valve and close the admission of fuel into said cylinder substantially as set forth.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a plurality of pairs of cylinders, pistons movable therein, a crank-shaft, connecting rods for the pistons of the two cylinders of each pair of cylinders being mounted on a common crank of said crank-shaft, exhaust and admission ports in each cylinder, a slidable cylinder head in one end of each cylinder, suitable connections between the end of one cylinder of each'pair of cylinders wherein is contained confined air or gas and the inner space in the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair, means for positively actuating the slidable head in each cylinder for closing the exhaust thereof, means whereby the slidable head in each cylinder is actuat ed by the pressure of burnt gases in the latter for opening the exhaust thereof, and means whereby upon the movement of the slidable head for opening the exhaust of its cylinder said air or gas Will be forced under pressure into the slidable head of the twin cylinder of the pair for closing the admission of fuel into the same.

JACQUES EGIDE SERSTE. 

